Lola Javier, a French photographer living in Cambodia, was proud to present her first photo exhibition "Women Love Women" at Wild Phnom Penh in 2023. The exhibition, organised in partnership with Queer Ladies of Cambodia, will be screened at the Institut Français du Cambodge on Friday 28 June 2024 at 6.45pm.
The event supports queer women in Cambodia, "whose community is under-represented in all types of art". Through portraits of women who identify as queer, each with their own atmosphere, the public can also discover their stories through texts. It's a wonderful artistic celebration that's still going strong, as the artist confirms:
The portraits show Cambodian and foreign women. Although their backgrounds are different, their testimonies highlight the normality of their life experiences. Maud and Émilie, two of the models, confide:
"Because our love is the same as any other couple's, we proclaim our ordinary love."
The artist herself also shares a piece of her story: "A year ago, I met my partner, who turned my life upside down and opened my mind to love between women. I could feel it in me without fully understanding it. It was as if I didn't know that this option was on the table".
"It was a revelation, the start of a new era, the key to understanding who I was. Our life is everything that is normal, everything that is fulfilling. Our dual culture, Khmer and French, made me wonder about the acceptance of homosexuality in Cambodia and abroad in general. How does each of us experience it?”
About Lola
Lola Javier is a passionate freelance photographer who works with both digital and analogue cameras. Originally from France, she now lives in Cambodia. She is a film teacher at PSE and uses photography to bring the subjects she loves to life.
During her photo screening, Lola will also read the accompanying poem, "Le rat de bibliothèque qui a sauter jusqu'à la fin" ("The bookworm who skipped to the end").
This exhibition is her first, and marks the strong symbolism of the messages she wishes to convey through her art.
